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U.S. men's national team center back Chris Richards offered an upbeat, mildly self-congratulatory take on Mauricio Pochettino's apparently imminent move to Manchester United.
The Crystal Palace defender contended that any interest from a Premier League "powerhouse," to use his generous characterization of United, speaks to the quality of the national team.
Pochettino was already viewed as a significant acquisition for the USMNT when he was appointed in September 2024, just months after departing Chelsea. The former Champions League finalist and Premier League runner-up with Tottenham Hotspur also claimed the French top-flight title at Paris Saint-Germain, coaching the likes of Kylian Mbappé, Neymar Jr. and Lionel Messi. His willingness to redirect his attention to Richards and his fellow Americans came as a surprise to many.
Over his two years in charge, Pochettino gradually reshaped the playing philosophy and culture of the program, rallying fans to passionately back the side on home turf during last summer's World Cup. Concrete results proved elusive—the U.S. is still chasing its first title since the 2024 Concacaf Nations League—but there have been sufficient positives for Richards to assert that Pochettino's tenure with the USMNT played a part in United's pursuit.
"It says a lot about what we've accomplished together over the past few years that we have a coach being courted by one of the biggest clubs in the world," Richards told The Athletic on Wednesday, as Pochettino's future remained shrouded in uncertainty.
"Obviously, credit to him, because he puts in the hard work every week. But it also helps that he's contributed to building something within our country and within our national team."
'How Lucky We Are'—USMNT Captain Tyler Adams Weighs in
Adams was equally unbothered by reports of Manchester United's interest in Pochettino. "Why wouldn't his name be on it?" the USMNT captain shrugged in conversation with Yahoo Sports.
"I mean, the credibility, the résumé speaks for itself. It shows us just how fortunate we are to work under a manager of his caliber and the kind of person he is."
"When you do a good job as a player or coach, you get linked to things," Adams explained. "There are rumors every single day about players moving to different places or different clubs. It's no different with a manager."
'Business As Usual'
Settling in for Saturday.
Let's get after it! pic.twitter.com/nLpKqpmjxn
On Wednesday, Pochettino ran practice as normal, projecting to the outside world that nothing had changed until it does.
Richards noted that Manchester United has remained the elephant in the room that everyone at the USMNT's November training camp has chosen to ignore. The looming prospect of a two-legged Nations League quarterfinal against Haiti on Saturday and Tuesday has kept the focus elsewhere—at least according to Richards.
"It's pretty much been business as usual here," Richards maintained, with some validity given Pochettino's continued presence. "Same as always. But obviously everyone's on social media these days, everybody sees all the reports and stuff.
"We've just kept our heads down. We're training and playing as if we haven't heard a thing. It's one of those things you have to live through to understand. [Young players are] reading and hearing the same stuff.
"We're trying to lead by example. We're training as though he'll be the coach tomorrow, because we don't know what's going to happen or not happen. That's just the mentality we've adopted."